


Like a Kitten

by TheShatteredRose



Category: 7th Dragon (Video Game), 7th Dragon III Code: VFD
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Oneshot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-27
Updated: 2016-07-27
Packaged: 2018-07-27 01:44:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7598641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheShatteredRose/pseuds/TheShatteredRose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Haruki takes Yuma to Meowdens for a date, to which Yuma learns some interesting things.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Like a Kitten

**Author's Note:**

> Pairings: Yuma/Haruki (Leader)  
> Prompt: 23. Cat  
> Words: 2,530  
> Warnings: None. No spoilers this time.
> 
> AN: Just me again with some much deserved fluff for this fandom – Yuma especially. Now, hope you’ll enjoy reading!

Haruki glanced at his watch as he sat in one of those comfortable seats near the front counter of the Skylounge. He was waiting for Yuma. After phoning and requesting that they meet up for personal time, Yuma had replied that he would arrive within the next 5.25 minutes. A précised time, yes. And there was no doubt that Yuma would arrive just as precisely.

They were going on a date. Another one.

Yuma’s notion of what dates were and how they were to be ‘executed’ was rather cliché to be perfectly honest. But they were still enjoyable nonetheless. While they have yet to take a romantic stroll along the beach at night, Haruki was fairly certain that the idea was on Yuma’s list of romantic things people do together.

However, Haruki was hoping to change things a little. He had a suggestion for Yuma. To take him out on a date essentially.

The thought occurred to him during the ‘finale’ of their previous date. Yuma had murmured something about realizing the benefits of touching someone without inflicting pain or damage. That really struck a chord with Haruki, forcing him to remember that the brown-haired young man wasn’t, well…normal.

Yuma was a weapon. Built to fight and destroy dragons. All he really knew and understood was to fight and become stronger. He saw that as his purpose. His only purpose.

It honestly broke Haruki’s heart every time he thought about that. And all he wanted to do was hug Yuma tightly whenever the other began to question his purpose of existence and tell him time and time again that he was important. That there was more to Yuma than fighting dragons and protecting humanity. So much more…

Haruki just wished that he could see that for himself.

“Ah, Haruki.”

The voice of the man he had been thinking about quickly pulled Haruki from his thoughts and he instinctively sat up straighter in his seat, turning to look in the direction of where the voice resonated from. And sure enough, at the very time he said he would arrive, Yuma walked over to him with a polite smile on his lips.

“Thank you for the invite,” Yuma said as he paused near where Haruki sat. “Hope I haven’t kept you waiting.”

“On time as usual, Yuma,” Haruki said as he pushed himself to his feet and faced the brown-haired man. He noticed that while Yuma wore his signature ISDF issued trench coat, small pieces of his armour was missing. A sign that stated that he had been granted the day or afternoon off.

“I take it you’ve asked me here so we can experience another date together?” Yuma asked with a small smile and a subtle hopeful expression on his face.

Haruki immediately nodded his head before smiling. “Actually, there’s somewhere I want to take you today.”

“There is?”

“There is,” Haruki said as he reached out to grip Yuma’s arm and tugged him toward the elevators. “This way.”

Dutifully, Yuma followed, allowing Haruki to pull him along without question. He did, however raise, an eyebrow when he realised the number of the floor Haruki was taking him to.

“The medical ward?” Yuma questioned with a small furrow of his brow when the elevator stopped and the two of them stepped out.

“No, not there,” Haruki said as he took the opportunity to gently slip his hand into Yuma’s, causing the other man to immediately turn toward him with a slightly puzzled expression. “This way.”

Tugging Yuma away from the medical rooms and past the small coffee counter in the middle of the floor, Haruki led him to the door on the far left. The one that had black paw prints painted on the floor leading toward the door. The one with a certain sign that pictured two adorable cats.

Yuma looked up at the sign overhanging the door and tilted his head cutely to the side. “…Meowdens?” he muttered, struggling slightly with the pronunciation of the word.

Haruki stifled a chuckle as he pulled the other through the automatic doors and into the café. “Step inside first.”

Again, dutifully doing what he was told, Yuma stepped into the room and looked honestly startled to realise that there were at least ten cats milling about in the room. Some were sleeping while others were playing together. One brave dark grey cat taking on the contents of a tissue box in the far right corner of the room.

“Oh, is this the cat café I have been hearing about?” Yuma asked as he continued to look around.

“That’s right,” Haruki said as he handed two sets of tinned cat food to Manager Ai. “These are cats that we have rescued from around the city, and from Atlantis and Eden.”

Yuma nodded his head idly before a slight puzzled expression appeared on his face and he turned toward Haruki once again. “Why did you bring me here?”

“Because I’ve always wanted to visit this place with you,” Haruki said easily as he pushed the other man deeper into the room and toward the table where they could sit amongst all the friendly felines.

“R-really?” Yuma seemed surprised for some reason as he allowed Haruki to push him onto a pillow to sit.

Haruki quickly sat down to the left of him and regarded him with a curious look. “You don’t like it here?”

Yuma looked surprisingly uneasy as he shook his head. “No, it’s not that,” he insisted before a frown tugged at his lips. “It’s…they’re so small.”

Yuma had big, powerful hands. He was most likely afraid that he might accidentally hurt something so small and fragile. However, Haruki was adamant that Yuma was capable of touching another without hurting them. He knew it. Yuma had never harmed him in anyway, after all. Especially during those times they were…intimate together.

“You’ll be fine,” Haruki said in a reassuring way.

“But…”

“Here.” Haruki swept a purring, fluffy cat up off the floor and placed it upon Yuma’s lap, the slightly pudgy feline settling down almost immediately. “They’re all friendly. They won’t bite.”

Yuma looked down at the purring feline and stared for a moment. “Ah, yes,” he muttered. “I am supposed to…pet these little creatures, aren’t I?”

Haruki chuckled softly before reaching over to gently stroke the cat on Yuma’s lap, silently showing him how it was done. Not stopping at that, though. He also took Yuma’s hand in his and carefully guided him through the motion. As per usual, Yuma was a quick learner.

“They really are quite delicate, aren’t they?” Yuma commented as he concentrated upon the cat that was really quite content on his lap.

“They’re strong in their own way,” Haruki said he scooped a black and white cat of his own onto his lap, gently scratching it under the chin.

Yuma made a sound of confusion. “Hm?”

“Strength isn’t about being the strongest or the most powerful,” Haruki said as he continued his meditative focus upon the active moggy in his hands, lifting it up into the air in front of him before gently lowering it closer toward him so they were nose to nose, the young cat purring the entire time.

“It is so many different things,” he continued. “It’s reaching out to another to help them stand tall. It’s allowing yourself to feel happy. It’s doing what you can to make another person happy. It’s standing up for those who can’t stand up for themselves. It’s stepping back and watching as another take their first steps into the unknown. It’s the gentle holding of a hand. It’s a sincere smile at the end of a long day. It’s finding a small sense of inner peace in the simplest of things.”

Haruki quickly realised that he was rambled and he placed the cat down onto his lap once more and granted Yuma an apologetic look. “Well, that’s what I think strength is, at least. And I think these cats feel the same.”

Yuma had that expression of innocent puzzlement on his face once more. An expression he wore often outside of missions and the many battlefields. “I don’t fully understand. But I will take what you have said into consideration,” he said in a diplomatic way.

Haruki knew that he wouldn’t understand immediately, but was grateful that he was at least listening to and musing over his words. “That’s all I ask.”

Nodding his head, Yuma turned his attention to a cat that was meowing for attention on his right. He didn’t look as tense as he first did when he walked into the café. Good. Yuma needed to learn more about enjoying simply being in the present, in the moment, other than continuously focusing upon battles and missions.

“Can I try something?” Haruki found himself asking as the cat on his lap got fed up with the non-attention and strolled away.

“Hm?” Yuma murmured as he turned his attention back to him. “Of course.”

Carefully, Haruki scooted closer toward Yuma, stopping next to him so that they were shoulder to shoulder. Then he pressed closer against him and leaned his head upon his shoulder. He felt Yuma stiffen out of surprise, but he kept still all the same. Even as Haruki reached out with his left hand to softly touch the inside of Yuma’s arm.

“Haruki?” Yuma questioned.

Haruki subconsciously tightened his grip on Yuma’s arm and closed his eyes. “I keep getting this feeling that something bad will happen to you. It makes me uneasy.”

“I am the strongest weapon in this world,” Yuma immediately stated.

Haruki knew that. And that was one of his concerns. _Weapon._ Weapons were made to be used. Used and then discarded when they break or a newer model came out.

“Nothing will happen to me,” Yuma went on to add in a softer tone, his voice reassuring.

“I hope so,” Haruki whispered as he stayed comfortably against Yuma’s side.

“…Haruki?”

Haruki shook his head slightly as he shuffled just that little bit closer. “Just let me stay here for a while.”

“Of course,” Yuma said as he stayed perfect still for him.

However, Haruki could feel that he wasn’t tense. He wasn’t in anyway uncomfortable from him. In fact, Yuma’s shoulder was down slightly, allowing him for a more comfortable position against him. So that he could continue to rest his head against his shoulder.

This peace…it was nice. He wished that it could last forever.

Opening his eyes, Haruki tilted his head back ever so slightly to gaze up at Yuma and found that the other man also wore an expression of peace on his face. He also seemed to be enjoying spending time with the cats around them. The cat that Haruki had deposited on Yuma’s lap was still there, sleeping peacefully –almost smugly- but Yuma had another cat cradled against his chest. A small ginger kitten with large green eyes. And it was nose to nose with Yuma.

It was undeniably cute how Yuma was regarding the cat with an intently curious expression.

“Oh?” Haruki couldn’t help but chuckle. “You like that one, I see.”

“Yes, I suppose I do,” Yuma said idly as he continued his staring contest with the ginger kitten. “He reminds me of you.”

“How so?” Haruki asked.

“Well, he has jade green eyes like you and his fur is the same colour as your hair,” Yuma explained rather bluntly. “But, he also has a rather elegant gait when he walks. Slender, sleek, but powerful. Every movement flawless, proficient.”

Haruki felt himself blush deeply. He had no idea that Yuma saw in such a way. Yuma sounded so endearing, though a little embarrassing. But flattering. Definitely flattering.

“He also has a sense of fearless to him,” Yuma continued, completely unaware with how darkly Haruki was blushing next to him. Too busy focusing his attention on the cat he was describing in such charming detail. “He walked straight up to him without falter. Much like you did when we first met.”

…Er, was that before or after he was nearly killed by that dragon?

“He also has a purr that sounds remarkably like you,” Yuma finished with an adamant nod of his head.

“I…purr?” Haruki murmured in embarrassment.

Again, Yuma nodded his head unwaveringly. “Oh yes. Especially during the period of time often referred to as the ‘afterglow’ of when we-”

“O-ok, I get the point!” Haruki all but shrilled in embarrassment.

“Hm?” Yuma muttered in a truly oblivious way. “Did I say something wrong?”

Running his hand over his flush heated cheeks, Haruki shook his head. “N-no, it’s fine.”

Still unfairly oblivious to the reaction his carefree words had on Haruki, Yuma nodded his head. “I’ve reached a conclusion.”

Haruki was almost afraid to ask. “Which is?”

“It seems that spending time with these cats is actually therapeutic,” Yuma explained as he carefully placed the ginger kitten upon the floor next to him and turned his full attention toward Haruki once more. “Gently petting and scratching them is meditative in a way. Is this…another form of peace?”

“It is,” Haruki answered without hesitation, pleased to see that Yuma was slowly learning to grasp these ‘useless’ moments of peace and stillness.

Yuma nodded his head in acceptance, but he continued to stare silently at Haruki. Almost as if he was…sizing him up in some manner. Then, without warning, he lifted his left hand and began to tenderly run his fingers through Haruki’s orange hair. While Haruki understandably stiffened in surprise, Yuma looked focused as he continued to carefully rake his fingers through Haruki’s hair without saying a thing.

“Um…what are you d-doing?” Haruki found himself all but squeaking in question.

Yuma was silent for a few moments longer before nodded his head resolutely once more. “It seems that I have made another breakthrough.”

“Ah, which is?”

“Petting Haruki has the same therapeutic values as petting a cat,” Yuma answered in his usually blunt but truthful manner. “Thus, petting Haruki on the hair in times of unease and anxiety will bring a soothing effect.”

Haruki resisted the urge to laugh nervously, instead simply smiling awkwardly. “I-is that so?

To be honest…it was actually pretty soothing for him, too. Each stroke of Yuma’s hand was gentle, his fingers raking easily through his hair, massaging his scalp and causing shivers of delight to race down his spine. No wonder the cats at Meowdens liked the attention so much.

“Ah, so this makes you purr as well,” Yuma stated, sounding remarkable satisfied.

Haruki covered his face with his hands once more. How long was he going to keep petting his hair? It was getting, well, embarrassing…and causing to him to desire something more intimate.

Yuma unexpectedly stilled for a moment, appearing as though something important had just occurred to him. “Haruki?” he said in a questioning manner before continuing with his gentle touch.

With Yuma’s fingers still running through his hair, the best that Haruki could do was to peer up at him over his glasses. “Ah, yes?”

“Don’t let anyone else do this.” Yuma sounded…possessive.

Haruki couldn’t help but grant the other a small smile. “…Sure.”

**Author's Note:**

> The second worse thing about chapter 6 is entering Meowdens and finding all the kitties unresponsive…Why did I do that to myself?!


End file.
